Ogham ~ Celtic Tree Lore

The Ivy - Gort - October

The Bramble - Celtic Moon month 30th September to 27th October

Latin name - Hedera Helix

The Ivy is a woody stemmed vine which is evergreen. It grows spirally upwards and can grow to 30 meters or more depending on its support tree. The roots of the Ivy come out from the stems and anchor themselves as they grow. The leaves are waxy in appearance and can turn purplish in winter. Ivy can also come in variegated leaf forms.

The Ivy flowers late around September to October and wasps are often the insects pollinating the multi globular flower heads. The fruits are black and rounded similar to berries. Ivy is widely cultivated in North America, it s a member of the ginseng family (Araliaceae).

The Ivy is associated with the Goddess and rebirth many feel this is due to the way it grows spirally upwards. The tree/vine of rebirth, joy, love, eternal life, reincarnation and exhilaration, all things connected with the Mother Goddess in her many forms around the world. The Ivy is also seen as a plant of the Otherworlds and communicating with them.

Ivy made into a alcoholic drink in ancient times was seen as a way to induce visions as it was often mixed with hallucinogenic mushrooms or other herbs, this gave rise to the sign of the Ivy for taverns and alehouses. Ivy has a poisonous substance called Hederin.

One of Ivy’s associations is with the Greek God of wine and fertility Dionysus, as he is covered in ivy and also grape vines.

The roots of the Ivy are very tough and have had many uses in the past. The vines have been used to tie things together in gardens and given a bit of soil will quickly re grow binding fences ect as it grows.

Most cultures associate Ivy with fertility and this is seen as due to its late flowering and fruiting and its rapid growth.